


We All Choose Our Own Path

by Spideyfan62



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: Din Djarin & Cara Dune Friendship, Din Djarin & Cara Dune are Best Friends, Din Djarin Needs a Hug, Gen, Good Parent Din Djarin, Protective Cara Dune, Season 2 Episode 8 Aftermath
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-19
Updated: 2021-01-19
Packaged: 2021-03-17 20:06:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28854789
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spideyfan62/pseuds/Spideyfan62
Summary: The elevator shaft closed, and just like that, Grogu was gone.The kid that had gone from just another job to the son he never had was back where he belonged.As Din stood there, helmet sitting on the floor, his heart felt heavy. He knew in his soul that he had done the right thing for the kid, but he couldn't shake the nervous feeling inside of him. For the first time in months, he wouldn't know what was happening with the kid. He wouldn't know if Grogu was safe, if he was being properly looked after, if he was eating some frog lady's eggs again...He didn't know how long he'd just been standing there, lost in his own thoughts, when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He didn't have to turn and look to know that it was Cara.
Relationships: Din Djarin & Cara Dune, Grogu & Din Djarin
Comments: 6
Kudos: 75





	We All Choose Our Own Path

**Author's Note:**

> In this story: a short follow up to the fall out of our characters after Luke leaves with Grogu.

The elevator shaft closed, and just like that, Grogu was gone. 

The kid that had gone from just another job to the son he never had was back where he belonged. 

As Din stood there, helmet sitting on the floor, his heart felt heavy. He knew in his soul that he had done the right thing for the kid, but he couldn't shake the nervous feeling inside of him. For the first time in months, he wouldn't know what was happening with the kid. He wouldn't know if Grogu was safe, if he was being properly looked after, if he was eating some frog lady's eggs again...

He didn't know how long he'd just been standing there, lost in his own thoughts, when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He didn't have to turn and look to know that it was Cara. Despite the woman's battle hardened ways and often fierce nature, her hand was soft and comforting against his shoulder armor. It was a gentle gesture that reminded him that she was there for him. 

His thoughts gathered back to the moment, he reached down to pick up his helmet, slowly putting it back on over his head. Part of him didn't know if he should even bother; twice now he had betrayed the creed by removing it. The first could possibly be excused; he had done it because it was the only way to save the kid. This time however, nothing had coerced him; nothing except the desire to let Grogu, his kid, see his face just once before they parted ways. He would deal with the fallout later though; for now, they still had work to do. 

The team redirected the cruiser to where Moff Gideon would be dropped off to be tried for his crimes and, hopefully, handled properly this time. He was confined to the same room he had been holding Grogu in prior, with Fennec assigned to stand guard. This way, he couldn't try to turn them against each other like he had earlier. It wasn't long before they reached their destination, with Cara dropping off a cuffed Gideon to a couple New Republic officers. As the man was passed along to them, he turned and looked at Din, a twisted, evil grin spreading across his face. It was like he was mocking Din for giving up the kid, for once more letting him go, even if this time was willingly. Fortunately, it was only a second before he was taken away, though it felt much longer. 

"You've done a great service to the New Republic, Marshal," Din overheard one of the officers say to Cara. She thanked them, they handled some paperwork and she explained their deal with Bo-Katan regarding the Imperial Cruiser. The officers weren't easily convinced, but they allowed her to do what she wanted with it, deciding in the end she had "earned it." 

\---

From there, the crew dropped off Fennec to rendezvous with Boba Fett on Tatooine, her part of the deal now complete. 

"I take it your mission was a success?" Boba asked him when they met up. 

Din hesitated before answering. 

"Yes." 

"Then where is the little one?" the older bounty hunter questioned. 

"He...he's with his own kind now," Din answered. "He's where he belongs." 

This time, Boba's response wasn't as quick, as he seemed to understand the weight of the situation. After a moment, he took a couple steps towards Din, offering a hand to shake, which the latter accepted. 

"Thank you," Din said, feeling he owed the older Mandalorian a small expression of his gratitude. 

"No, thank you," Boba said. Din then turned to shake Fennec's hand as well. 

"Good luck," she said, her a wry but still somber smile on her face. 

"You too," Din replied. 

\---

From there, the remainder of the crew set course for Nevarro. At one point while in route, Din caught Bo-Katan's eyes. Theoretically, if all had gone according to plan, by now they would've either gone their separate ways or he would've gone off with them to join their quest to restore Mandalore. However, things were now much more complicated. Surprisingly saw no anger or bitterness in her expression, just...disappointment. He knew she valued the Darksaber, but it was only seeing how it had slipped through her fingers once more that he felt he finally understood the depth of her obsession with it. 

Still, neither one of them had spoken to each other since the Jedi departed with Grogu. Maybe it was pity on her part, maybe it was him giving off the impression he didn't want to be bothered, maybe it was both...but neither one of them could seem to find it in them to approach the other. Din had a feeling he hadn't seen the last of her though. 

They finally arrived on the planet where this all started; where he had first received the bounty that had changed Din forever. They landed well outside of town so as not to cause a scene, given what kind of ship they were arriving in. Still, it was likely only a few hours walk into town, but Din had no perception of time as they crossed the desert landscape. His scattered thoughts continued to swarm his brain, his worry building up in his mind. He tried to tell himself that he really had no reason to worry about the kid; they had all scene through the security cameras what the Jedi who now had Grogu in his custody was capable of. Din had struggled with one dark trooper, but the cloaked figure had cut down an entire platoon or used his powers to toss them aside as if they were nothing. If anyone could take care of the kid, if anyone could teach him how to properly handle his powers, it was him. 

Yet, deep down, Din knew it wasn't that simple. 

Eventually, they made it to town. Din caught Bo-Katan's eyes once more, but once more nothing was said, and she turned and the latter turned and walked into a local food establishment, her cohort right beside her. 

"Can I get you a drink?" 

Din turned to Cara. 

"Sure." 

They walked the short distance to what Din knew was one of the most popular bars in this section of Nevarro. 

"Ah, Marshal!" the bartender greeted as the two of them walked in. "Welcome back!" 

"Thanks," Cara replied. "Everything okay while I was gone?" 

"Oh yeah, quiet as could be," the bartender replied. "Can I get you anything?" 

"Two spotchkas please for me and my friend," Cara replied, pointing to Din. The bartender quickly got on it, and in no time Cara was handing Din his drink and the two of them walked back to her office. 

"I'm surprised Greef wasn't here to greet us," Din said as Cara sat down at her desk. 

"He's out negotiating trade with other magistrates in the sector," Cara replied. Din said nothing response, taking a couple sips of his spotchka. He could feel Cara's concerned eyes on him though, her gaze ever present. 

"You okay?" she finally asked. 

Din thought for a moment, though he knew the answer the moment she asked. 

"No," he answered honestly. Cara said nothing in response, and Din took her look as an invitation to continue if he needed to. He walked over, sat his drink down and leaned against the side of her desk. 

"All my life, I've known nothing but the Way of the Mandalore," he began, his words just kind of coming to him as he went. "Even returning the kid to where he belonged was part of my obligation to the Creed, but then..."

"He became something more," Cara replied, finishing his thoughts for him. 

"Yes," Din replied. "He...every decision I have made for a while now has been about him, has been for him, and now that he's gone...I'm not sure I can just go back to how things were before." 

"Then don't," Cara replied, shrugging as if it was an obvious answer. 

"You make it sound so easy," Din said. 

"It's not," Cara said, setting down her drink. Despite his helmet, she seemed to know exactly where his eyes were as she stared deeply into them with her own. "It's the hardest thing, but it's something we all have to do. You showed me that." 

"I did?" Din said, his head tilting slightly to the left. 

"Oh yeah," she replied, "you found me at a time when I was in a similar place to where you are now. Serving in the rebellion...it was my whole purpose, especially once they took everything from me. After that though, I struggled with finding anything worth living for, but when you asked me to help fend off the raiders and protect the villagers on Sorgen, it was the beginning of me finding myself again." 

"Huh," Din said, some life returning to his voice as he continued, "I'm guessing this is the part where you try to rope me into serving under you, dragging me along in your law keeping adventures?" 

Cara smirked. 

"No," she replied, "because you don't need to be dragged into something like I did. You can find your own path." 

Din looked down to his side, where the Darksaber was still strapped. 

"I guess part of it will have to do with this," he said. 

"Hey," Cara said, resetting his focus back on her. She leaned forward as she continued, "you don't owe her anything. You wouldn't let me take off your helmet to tend your head wound once, but then you did it just so the kid could see your face. You overcame tradition when it was the right thing to do, so she can to, but that's on her. We all choose our own path, Mando." 

Din let those last words wash over him. 

"We all choose our own path." 

It's exactly what he had done when he decided to take the kid back Gideon's emissaries. He wasn't just protecting the child; he was choosing a new course for his life, even if he didn't know it at the time. 

Din took another sip of his drink. 

"I guess you're right," he said.

"I've been known to be," Cara said, a smirk on her face. Din wondered if she guess he was rolling his eyes underneath his helmet. 

"Well, there is one more thing I need to do I suppose," he said. 

Cara raised an eyebrow. 

"What's that?" 

Din got up from his resting spot on the desk, walked over and grabbed the chair from the other desk in the room and rolled it over to the opposite side of the desk Cara was at. He sat down, placing his elbow on the desk with his hand raised and open. 

"Beat you properly this time in arm wrestling." 

Cara smiled, scooting her chair forward and placing her arm in the same position, locking her hand with his. 

"Same bet as before?" she asked. 

"Yep," Din said. 

He might not know what his path would look like yet, but it was going to start with actually beating Cara Dune in an arm wrestling contest.

**Author's Note:**

> Wow, it only took me 63 Spider-Man works before I finally decided to branch off and try my hand at a completely different fandom. All that to say, I'm new here, so please, feel free to tell me your thoughts: what you loved, what you hated (but be polite), and anything that was just "meh." If by some chance you enjoyed this, feel free to check out my Spider-Man works as well, but if that's not your cup of tea, coffee, etc, I understand. 
> 
> Know that I am praying for you all. Please, stay as safe and healthy as you can, physically or otherwise. Have a blessed day! 
> 
> "The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold." Psalm 18:2


End file.
